Epress.am News from Armenia
Levon Barseghyan, the president of Asparez Journalists’ Club in Gyumri, doesn’t have any particular expectations on the competition between GALA and Tsayg TV — both TV stations in Gyumri that are vying for one Shirak marz (province) spot in the country’s broadcast licensing competitions —, since he thinks that “Grigor Amalyan’s commission remains Grigor Amalyan’s commission.” [Grigor Amalyan is the chair of Armenia’s National Commission on Television and Radio.]
As it has been reported, the competitions, announced by the National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR) on July 20, 2010, are held in Armenia for the first time and are stipulated by the digital switchover from analogue broadcasting, according to the Yerevan Press Club.
“Of course, there’s a danger that GALA TV can be deprived of broadcasting; there’s a real risk, it’s nothing new,” said Barseghyan, who also turned his attention to the entire process of the broadcast licensing competitions.
“At this stage, I am refraining from expressing any opinions on this or that TV station’s program, since I think that any opinion can be cause for speculation by the Amalyan commission. And let me say, for that reason, I haven’t become familiar with any TV station’s programming,” said the Asparez club president, speaking to Epress.am.
In his opinion, the traditional way of TV broadcasting is antiquated and it’s time to think of new ways, when “the country continues to remain in the hands of this regime.”
“For example, why didn’t A1+ become at a loss? Because it began to think of new ways: a website, [and] now there’s an attempt at internet TV,” he said.
Recall that A1+ was deprived of its broadcasting license in April 2002. On June 17, 2008, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the refusals to grant a broadcast license to Meltex LLC (A1+ TV company founder) were recognized to be a violation of Article 10 of the European Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, that is, of the right of the applicant to freely impart information and ideas.
Speaking on the TV broadcasting licensing competitions, Levon Barseghyan said that it would’ve been more effective if during competitions, the regional TV stations joined together and, “with one forehead [front], fought against this government.”
“However, it didn’t turn out that way since, I think, the authorities, through this or that way, had an influence, and today already, for example, in Lori marz [province], 5 TV stations voluntarily refused to participate in the competition, which is very unfortunate,” he said.
Barseghyan sees one another, very important problem, which refers to, according to him, “the regime’s attempts to control the internet.”
“Believe me, this is a bigger problem than any TV station’s being deprived of broadcasting. We mustn’t allow [Armenian President] Serzhik Sargsyan and Amalyan to attempt to control also the internet. That they’re not asleep and are thinking toward this direction is definite,” said the Asparez Journalists’ Club president.
“In my subjective opinion, this commission will do the government’s bidding in this competition too. When all over the world, the number of TV stations increases as a result of digitalization, in Armenia, they are reduced. What does it mean to allocate only one station for all of Shirak marz [province]?”